


I Can't Imagine This World Without You

by Emily_F6



Series: Peter Parker Prompts [17]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Irondad, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:14:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25757929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6
Summary: Peter sat in the corner of what had been Mr. Stark's workshop, the fingers of his right hand drumming nervously on his knee.  He'd found the device in the man's desk and even though he knew he probably shouldn't have taken it…but his name had been on it! Written in Mr. Stark's familiar handwriting in black sharpie, right along the side, had been his name, and how could he ignore that? How could he have just left it there? Why would Mr. Stark have saved a flash drive with his name on it for five years?
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Peter Parker Prompts [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866505
Comments: 7
Kudos: 137





	I Can't Imagine This World Without You

**Prompt: I can't imagine this world without you**

Peter sat in the corner of what had been Mr. Stark's workshop, the fingers of his right hand drumming nervously on his knee. He'd found the device in the man's desk and even though he knew he probably shouldn't have taken it…but his name had been on it! Written in Mr. Stark's familiar handwriting in black sharpie, right along the side, had been his name, and how could he ignore that? How could he have just left it there? Why would Mr. Stark have saved a flash drive with his name on it for five years?

Five long years. Five years during which the man had gotten married and had a little girl. Peter was still struggling to get all of it straight in his mind…to fully take it in. The battle on titan. Then…the feeling of his body falling apart. His hands gripping the back of Mr. Stark's shirt, and then his hands turning to dust. Terror and pain mingling in his stomach. Mr. Stark's face as he'd tried to lower him to the ground and his body slamming into the rocks of Titan…and then…apologizing. Looking at Mr. Stark's face, he had known how afraid he was….just as afraid as Peter had been.

And then, the next minute, he'd been laying on the ground, staring up at Doctor Strange who had been leaning over him, holding out a hand and explaining that Mr. Stark needed his help. Then the battle…the aliens and Thanos and the gauntlet and…and Mr. Stark. Mr. Stark throwing his arms around him right in the middle of his explanation and holding him so tightly…

Mr. Stark had missed him. He'd kissed the side of his head and held him for so long but the battle had been raging around them. The battle and Thanos…

And the gauntlet.

Peter sighed rubbing his face and then leaning forward, fingers hovering over the flash drive. All he had to do was plug it in. It was no surprise that Mr. Stark had not only invented time travel but also perfected hologram technology. Reaching out, he took a deep breath, then placed his hand back on his leg, shifting a little on the stool to keep his balance. Everything still ached from the battle, and he wanted to lay down on the old sofa still in the corner…the one he'd napped on a thousand times before. The one that smelled like motor oil from DumE's smoothies and Mr. Stark's cologne and just…the lab. The lab had its own smell, and as soon as Peter had stepped into the room, he'd been hit by a wave of it so strong that for a moment, he'd leaned against the wall, eyes closed, just taking it in. It had only been a few weeks for him, but still…just knowing that it had actually been five years had made it hit him harder, somehow.

He'd been gone for five years! And somehow, Mr. Stark has brought him back. He'd cared enough to invent time travel for him! Well, Peter reminded himself, not just for him. For everyone. Half of the Avengers…hell, half the universe. It was a little narcissistic to think it had all been about him. But then he'd remember the way Mr. Stark had looked at him on that battlefield. Almost like…like he loved him.

The thought brought it all back…the battlefield and the way Mr. Stark had looked at the gauntlet and the fear…the full-on terror. Knowing that he was going to die. Knowing what he was going to lose. Knowing that he'd never get the chance to talk to Mr. Stark again. Sniffing, Peter ran a hand over his face, trying not to cry. Not again. He'd already cried so much.

Peter shifted on the stool, flinching at the full-body soreness he still felt, then finally clicked the button. He had to know. Even if he wasn't supposed to. Even if it would only make it hurt more.

Immediately, the hologram of Mr. Stark appeared, full-sized and smiling at him. Smiling in a way Peter had never really seen him smile before. Smiling like he loved him so much, like he was so happy to see him, even if Peter knew that the man wasn't there.

"Hey, Pete." The smile practically split the man's face in two, and Peter felt himself mirroring it, eyes still hot. "I…". The man held up his hands in a shrug. "I don't really know what to say. That's a first, huh? I just…I miss you so much, Pete. More than I ever thought possible. You… you were like…" He scoffed, shaking his head a little. "You were so important to me, and one of my greatest regrets is not getting to tell you that. But I'm going to try something…something to bring you back. I've tried before…I gave up, Pete. I hope you can forgive me for that. I hope that you know, it wasn't until I found out that Pepper was pregnant…up until then, you were all I could think about. Losing you like that…I still have nightmares. But when Morgan came along…I hope you get to meet her, buddy. I hope…I hope I get to see it when you do."

The hologram of Mr. Stark cleared his throat and Peter rubbed a hand over his eyes once more, trying to stop his tears to no avail.

"Anyway, the reason I'm making this is, uh, what we're doing, kid, it's dangerous. And if I have to make the last play…if I can save the world one more time…". He trailed off, looking so sad as he stared into space right beside Peter's head. "What I'm trying to say is, if I don't make it and you somehow end up watching this, I want you to know….I want you to know that it's okay. I had a good run, kiddo. A great run. But when it comes down to it, I can't imagine this world without you, and for the last five years, I've had to live it. If there's any chance…any chance in the universe that I can bring you back, I'm taking it. You…you and Morgan, you're the greatest things in my life."

Tony leaned in then, smiling so softly, so full of love, that the rest of the tears finally spilled over, and he dropped his head, a sob breaking through. "I love you, Pete. So much. You're going to be the best of all of us."

Dropping his face into his hand, Peter heard the program close as his chest gave a fierce, aching stab of pain. It had been for him. All of it…Mr.. Stark had put everything on the line for him and it wasn't fair! None of it was fair!

"Peter?" The voice surprised him enough that his head jerked up, and he forgot to wipe his eyes, not that it would have made a difference. The man in the doorway stared at him for a moment before rushing over, putting his hands on Peter's shoulders. "Hey…what are you doing down here?"

Sheepishly, Peter pointed at the flash drive, and Mr. Stark turned, eyebrows furrowing when he caught sight of it. "Buddy…"

"You thought you were going to die," Peter choked out, and Mr. Stark sighed and wrapped his arms around him, careful of his left side.

"I wanted to leave you a message. Just in case."

"You were ready to die!"

"Not ready, Pete. Just willing." Peter sobbed again, shoulders shaking as he hid his face in Mr. Stark's should we. The radiation from the gauntlet had nearly killed him. He'd lost his left arm, and his whole left side was covered in scars…but he'd survived. He knew that Mr. Stark wouldn't have.

"I'm not. I'm not willing to let you die!"

"Yeah, I know bud. You kind of proved that when you took the gauntlet away from me in the last quarter."

It had been a snap decision. One second, Mr. Stark had been about to put his hand in the gauntlet. The next, Peter had shot a web, yanking the gaudy, golden glove back to himself before shoving his hand inside.

When it had all been over and he'd been left flat on his back, blood bubbling in his mouth and spilling over onto his chin, Mr. Stark had been right there. He'd waited for a lecture. For a scolding. Instead, the man had cupped his right cheek and had given him a reset smile. "Hey…hey Pete. It's me. It's Tony. Mr. Stark. You did it, honey. You won. We won."

Unable to respond, Peter had opened his mouth then closed it, choking on the blood and struggling to keep his eyes open as Tony had gripped his shoulder and sobbed, dropping his chin to his chest. "No….no, buddy, you… you've gotta stay with me. Okay? I waited five years to see you again. Five years! I have a daughter now, and a lake house. And I got married…and I wanted you there for all of it! Please…please don't go. Please…I just got you back! Please!"

Doctor Strange had been there then, and the next thing Peter had known was waking in the medbay, his left side feeling oddly numb.

Now he cried into Mr. Stark's shoulder as the man ran his hand through his hair in the room that had once been his personal lab and was now mostly a glorified storage closet. As soon as he'd woken up, Mr. Stark has been there, promising that it would all be okay. That he'd build him a kick-ass prosthetic and that he'd never even miss his arm. Then he'd quickly backtracked, assuring Peter that anything he felt was normal and that he should feel free to express his emotions, and then Peter had reached out, grabbing his shirt with his good hand, making Mr. Stark shut his mouth with an audible click.

"Did it work?"

The man had softened. "Yeah, buddy. It worked. You did it."

"Was it really five years?"

Mr. Stark has nodded again, sitting on the bed and wrapping his arm around Peter's shoulders. They'd stayed there for a long time.

Now Mr. Stark pulled at a little, ruffling his hair. "Now that you're done snooping in my stuff…"

"It has my name on it!"

"How about we head back upstairs. Best I remember, you're supposed to be on bed rest."

"Bed rest is boring, Mr. Stark."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." He wrapped an arm around Peter to steady him as they headed back toward the elevator. Peter had only been awake for a few days and everyone was paranoid about him being out of bed for more than a few minutes at a time, and that included the Avengers (plus Loki and Captain Marvel and May) who he'd been forced to evade to get down to the lab. "Here's the deal, you lay down and rest, and I'll order food. Then we can get started on building the spider a new limb. What do you say?"

Peter had to smile, nodding and thanking god and the universe once more that he'd managed to get the gauntlet…that he hadn't lost this. "Okay. But only if you get Hawaiian pizza."

"Fine, you heathen."


End file.
